LAYING DOWN Synonyms: 143 Similar and Opposite Words

laying down

verb

present participle of lay down

as in enacting

to put into effect through legislative or authoritative action the city council promises to lay down new ordinances that will force dog walkers to clean up after their animals

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in declaring

to state clearly and strongly at the risk of their popularity, the parents laid down the rules for the party and wouldn't accept any arguments

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in specifying

to give the rules about (something) clearly and exactly the supervisor laid down the procedure for a complaint of sexual harassment

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in relinquishing

to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress commanded the surrounded troops to lay down their weapons

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for laying down

Verb

Now, communities are left scrambling to cut budgets and find new sources of revenues, such as enacting a local income tax.

— Jim Masters, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
In 2025, all 50 states saw proposals related to AI introduced, with 38 states enacting some sort of regulation, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

— Arpan Lobo, Freep.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of enacting

Verb

In April, a Lombardy court ruled against the cities, declaring their challenges inadmissible, and clearing the way for dedication of the Milan Malpensa Silvio Berlusconi airport.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
When the trial reconvened less than 30 minutes later, a statement was read aloud declaring that Bulone had found Kosowski guilty of first-degree murder.

— Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of declaring

Verb

One of the bills, introduced by Stefani, expands the ability of certified nurse-midwives to provide care for pregnant and postpartum patients by specifying that supervision by a physician is not required when providing certain services.

— Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
In addition to specifying what an agent is allowed to access, organizations need to be equally explicit about what the agent is expected to accomplish, where autonomous decision-making is appropriate and when human approval is required.

— Sumit Dhawan, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of specifying

Verb

And now, after its award-winning world premiere in the Next Wave competition at Fantastic Fest and a major screening at Zurich Film Festival, Schulman is slowly but surely relinquishing control.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026
One panel was falling, then smashing on the path, lead relinquishing its long grip on the glass.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of relinquishing

Verb

The top tier of college football, known now as the Football Bowl Subdivision, resembles the professional game more with each passing year, prompting calls to implement rules to better manage the sport.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
His Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc trailed behind, also passing the second Red Bull and fully salvaging Ferrari’s day.

— Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of passing

Verb

Direct mail flyers sent to Charlotte homes in the south Charlotte area feature basket price comparisons against local grocers Food Lion and Harris Teeter, asserting competitive value on store-brand essentials alongside its premium offerings.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 3 Oct. 2026
Shortly after Novig launched, the company slapped multiple states with lawsuits, asserting states cannot regulate the platform’s sports event contracts.

— Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of asserting

Verb

Yet musical improvisation remained a defining influence throughout his practice, which was unusual in its diversity of styles, mediums, and materials.

— Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Districts resorted to defining competency as the lowest passing grade.

— Neetu Arnold, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of defining

Verb

Officers brought Bottom down and began rendering aid before medics arrived and rushed him to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

— Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 3 Oct. 2026
All four of those songs all also appear on proper albums, some in superior re-recordings, rendering the compilation a little redundant.

— Charles Moss, SPIN, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of rendering

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

laying by

laying down

laying eyes on

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Laying down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laying%20down. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of laying down

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

regimen

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes